Mental Health in the media

I would highly recommend the recent BBC documentary, “The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07w52tp

Dr Chris van Tulleken, of “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor” fame, encourages patients at a London surgery to stop using medication to control symptoms. Instead, they are asked to explore the causes of their problems – and to discover more empowering, long term solutions.

I found the story of the woman with chronic back pain, who discovered martial arts; and that of the woman with chronic depression who started cold-water swimming particularly inspiring.

Research by the NCT, coinciding with Father’s Day, has revealed that over a third of new fathers are worried about their mental health: http://www.nct.org.uk/press-release/dads-distress-many-new-fathers-are-worried-about-their-mental-health

One of the main reasons behind these findings is men’s unwillingness to talk about their feelings. This unwillingness is understandable – many men have been taught, from a very young age, that there is something “unmanly” about sharing feelings, or even having them in the first place.

A strategy of “keeping calm and carrying on” may sometimes serve men well. But when “manning up” just doesn’t seem to be working – for instance, during the period immediately before, and after the birth of a child – more men need to follow another well known piece of advice:

Celebrities like Stephen Fry, The Wanted and Rebecca Front talk about mental health problems like depression and why it’s important to be open.

Alastair Campbell talks about depression

Former political aide and author, Alastair Campbell recalls the conversation he had with former prime minister Tony Blair about his experiences of depression and why talking is important for social change.

Ruby Wax

Ruby Wax has experienced episodes of depression for most of her life, but it wasn’t until she finally checked into a clinic, that she realised how widespread mental health problems are: “It’s so common, it could be anyone. The trouble is, nobody wants to talk about it. And that makes everything worse.”

Stephen Fry talks about bipolar disorder and mental health stigma

Stephen Fry has experienced mental health problems for much of his life. But it wasn’t until he was 37 that he was finally diagnosed withbipolar disorder. “I’d never heard the word before, but for the first time I had a diagnosis that explains the massive highs and miserable lows I’ve lived with all my life.”

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